CONCERNING NATURAL REGENERATION IN GENERAL, 17 
II. Concerning Natural Regeneration in general, together with 
Special Details regarding a typical example of Natural 
Regeneration of the Scots Pine at Beauly, Inverness-shire 
(with Photographs). By GILpert Brown, Beaufort Cottage, 
Kiltarlity, Inverness-shire. 
In natural forests a process is continually going on which 
ensures their perpetuation from one generation to another; and 
“natural regeneration” is the formation of a new wood by the 
natural fall of seed from the mother-trees, which germinates and 
develops into a crop of seedlings. This term distinguishes such 
a process from “ artificial sowing or planting” in the nursery or 
forest, otherwise the methods involved are as natural in the one 
as in the other. 
In forests of vast extent, in which regeneration has taken place, 
the preponderance of a very few species is usually a character- 
istic feature, and the nature of the climate and the composition 
of the soil determine in great measure what this species shall 
be. Throughout America and parts of the Continent of Europe, 
pure coniferous forests are often found resulting from natural 
regeneration, because, when any particular tree is specially 
favoured by the soil, situation, or climate, it propagates itself 
readily, to the more or less complete exclusion of others. Thus, 
on a fine, deep soil several different species may be found grow- 
ing side by side, while on rocky, bare ground only a few hardy 
trees, endowed with special qualities, are to be found, and on 
a swamp, alder or poplar. These are extreme examples, but 
the more similar the nature of the trees, the keener and the more 
prolonged will be the struggle, though the result will ultimately 
be the same. This may also occur in woods under careful 
management, owing to such reasons as a desire for uniformity 
of appearance, or for the easy management of the woods, 
because, wherever a system in any way favours one kind of tree, 
it is placed in a more advantageous position than other kinds, 
with the ultimate result that these latter become greatly 
diminished in number. 
When it is desired to restock a wood with young seedlings 
after the old crop has reached maturity, three conditions are 
essential, viz.—(1) Presence of seed-bearing trees; (2) soil suitable 
Jor the germination of the seed and the growth of the plant; 
(3) ¢émely removal of the old trees. 
VOL. XIX. PART I. B 
